Innovation fund open to help children of dependent drinkers

The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Work and Pensions have joined to provide funding for councils to establish initiatives to support children of alcoholics and dependent drinkers. They have set aside £4.5m.

They want councils to create robust joint plans from public health and children and family commissioners that are designed to lead to identifying more children and parents and also to increase the number of alcohol-dependent parents receiving and completing treatment, alongside support to reduce parental conflict.

They are also keen to reduce the number of looked-after children of alcohol dependent parents being taken back into care, and reduce the time they spend on the child protection register. The application phase for the innovation fund runs until 17 July.